bitchy | Shuter: Prince Harry’s secret plan is to establish a ‘rival royal court’ in the UK

This week, there’s been a surprising amount of discussion about a “rival royal court.” Rival to what, one might ask. You see, Prince Harry is finally getting a security risk assessment, and if the assessment amounts to “the Sussexes deserve police protection whenever they’re in the UK,” then that means… Harry is coming back to LIVE IN THE UK! Obviously. So it’s Harry’s royal court which is theoretically a “rival” to Scooter King’s “royal court.” In case you couldn’t tell, this was the whole point of William’s attempts to exile the Sussexes in 2018/2019. William has been terrified of the Sussexes’ power and their “rival court” all this time. Anyway, Rob Shuter’s Substack is about all of this, and I wanted to discuss it because it reads like a Scooter King fever dream.

Darlings, pour the tea — Prince Harry has just scored the win he’s been chasing for years, and the ripple effect is pure royal drama. Sources close to the Montecito renegade tell me the U.K. government is reconsidering his security status — no final decision yet — but this isn’t just about protection. With a fresh risk assessment on the table, Harry is quietly laying the foundation for something far bigger: a fully functioning royal court in Britain, one that could ultimately rival Prince William’s.

“He’s been playing the long game,” one insider whispers. “Harry wants legitimacy. He wants to operate in the U.K. on his own terms — meetings, charitable work, high-level engagements — without being treated like a guest in his own country.”

Another source adds, “This isn’t just about security. It’s about creating a separate royal ecosystem. He’s building a court, and he’s doing it carefully.”

Having worked inside the British royal family, I can confirm this rings 100% true. Harry’s strategy is classic Sussex: measured, ambitious, and quietly unstoppable.

Behind palace walls, the whispers are growing louder. Harry could reestablish a London base, hire permanent staff, and restart Sussex-branded operations — a move courtiers fear would create a dueling monarchy.

“William has his court. Harry wants his,” a royal insider tells me. “This isn’t about a return to the family — it’s about competing with them.”

Yet another source confirms, “The security decision is just the first domino. Once it’s in place, Harry can quietly expand his influence without anyone really noticing — until it’s too late.”

So buckle up, darlings. With security restored, a U.K. base being plotted, and Harry determined to carve out his own royal ecosystem, the House of Windsor may soon have two courts… and only one crown.

[From Rob Shuter’s Substack]

“He wants to operate in the U.K. on his own terms — meetings, charitable work, high-level engagements — without being treated like a guest in his own country.” I think that’s correct? That is, in fact, what Harry wants. He wants the right to come back a few times a year to do his philanthropic work and see his family. Equating THAT with a “rival royal court” is a bit much, but as I said, this reads like William rage-screeching his biggest fears. William has always equated Harry’s philanthropy with “royal work,” and William doesn’t understand why Harry would want to spend time with their cancer-sticken father if not to establish royal legitimacy and position. It has never occurred to William that Harry simply loves their father and wants to spend time with Charles.

Also, what’s left unsaid is… the Sussexes already have a rival royal court, it’s just in Montecito. Harry doesn’t have to come back to the UK to establish a royal court. The British press already hangs on every word, every appearance, every story from the Sussexes. The Sussexes have access to the American media ecosystem and American power-brokers, and William desperately wants that too.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.